What's a Soulmate?
by scarletsleuth
Summary: Felix is tired from a long day of watching his grandson. When he finally gets him to settle down he asks him an innocent question that brings him to remember painful memories of his Ladybug.


Felix Agreste was a powerful man. He was feared by many by his cold attitude and look upon life. He always knew many avoided him when they could even his own son Gabriel was never around anymore. In fact, Gabriel moved out as soon as he was eighteen to go into Fashion and Design where he had met his wife in that career. And now his son decided to retaliate by sending his hyperactive son to Felix. Oh, _joy._ The boy had been following him around all afternoon while he worked on his company pestering him with annoying questions somehow always finding him.

"Grandpere? I have one last question." the young boy in front of Felix Agreste who was asking much too many questions sat up in his bed as he gave him a serious face.

Felix was exhausted after chasing around his grandson all day who had a knack for bad luck while Adrien's parents were out of the country for a fashion show. The older Agreste sighed running a hand through his graying blond hair. Felix sat on the edge of the bed in the room Adrien stayed in when he came to visit and turned his ice cold, blue gaze on the boy.

"Yes, Adrien?" He asked as he gripped his cane. "This is the last question of the evening. You know you were supposed to be asleep an hour ago."

Adrien winced slightly as he curled up under his green blanket on the king sized bed. He tightly hugged his cat stuffed toy as he looked up at his grandfather who raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's a soulmate?" He asked startling Felix only slightly. Felix looked down at the ground and didn't speak for a few moments not sure as how to answer his grandson's question. He sighed before looking down at his pocket watch pressing the latch-it swung open to reveal a picture of a young woman.

The young woman had her hair in two long, black pigtails tied with ribbon. Even if the picture didn't have color he knew her bluebell eyes stared up at him with all the love as back then. There giving him her bright smile was his Lady. His Bugaboo. His-Ladybug. Gently, Felix traced the outline of the watch before snapping it shut sternly turning to Adrien.

Felix was quiet for a long moment until he spoke in a shaky breath gripping his cane too tightly making his knuckles turn white.

"It's uh," Felix paused cursing himself as he spoke with a shaky breath, " Well, it's like a best friend, but more."

Felix started growing more confidence as he looked down at Adrien's tiny face who watched him intently. He gave a cold smile to himself as he started again.

"It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It's someone who makes you a better person…" Felix spoke his eyes shut tight as memories of his Lady filled his vision. Bridgette smiling at him with her bright eyes and dark pigtails as she handed him a box with a birthday gift. Felix touched the chain that held his pocket watch around his neck as he took a breath trying to fight the painful memories.

"Actually, they don't make you a better person," Felix traced the silver ring on his finger as if it was taunting him. "You do that yourself. Because they inspire you."

Adrien watched his Grandfather closely listening intently to every word. As he listened he realized that his grandfather wasn't talking about Adrien's grandmother.

"A soulmate is someone you carry with you forever."

Adrien listened as he heard a pause from his Grandfather who then let out a small gasp as he looked down at the ground.

"It's the one person who knew you and accepted you- _believed_ in you before anyone else did or when no one else would."

Felix spoke again turning his gaze away as he remembered his Ladybug smile at him sticking her fist out for a bump after defeating an Akuma. He sighed with a shaky breath as he tightly gripped the scarf around his neck. His steel eyes looking down at his shoes as he remembers his Ladybug. His Bridgette. He remembered her with a suitcase as she tightly gripped her ticket back home to Shanghai refusing to look at Felix who stood in front of her. How she turned to board the plane before running back into his arms for one last hug. Felix remembered his hands buried in her long loose hairs bunching it up into pigtails to see her as herself before she left. The man remembered all those years ago when he felt Bridgette stand on her toes to kiss him. Felix had felt the bad luck wash out of him as he let go her hair and kissed her back.

Even after all these years, he knew that once _she_ kissed him, he would never see his precious Ladybug again. He was right as she walked on that plane and left for Shanghai. He never saw Bridgette again.

"And no matter what happens, Adrien." Felix finally spoke forgetting where he was for a moment as he stared blankly down at his grandson. "You'll always love them, nothing can change that."

Felix stood up pushing himself with the cane as he turned to walk out of the room. He gripped the doorframe as he turned to see Adrien smile at him. He was curled up under the blanket as he closed his eyes.

"Did you love her Grandpere?" Adrien barely whispered as he fell asleep that Felix thought he'd imagined his speaking. Felix smiled softly as he shut off the dim lights in the sleeping boy's room.

"I did, Ma coccinelle était mon âme soeur," Felix spoke in French with a cold smile lightly running a hand through his graying blond hair. "Bonsoir, mon petit-fils."

"Bonsoir Grandpere," Adrien mumbled back in his sleep making Felix smirk as he left the room down to his office.

Felix sat down at his desk and surveyed the area making sure no one was around. Once it was clear he pulled out an old, box the fabric tearing from age and the ribbon tattered from moths eating it. He pulled the box open setting the top gently on his desk. Cautiously, he pulled up the blue scarf that laid inside. Felix rubbed a thumb over the soft fabric before bringing it to his face where he could read the maker's name on the scarf. _Bridgette Cheng,_ he felt under his fingers he traced it lightly as Felix felt the pain sting him once more. Felix let several tears fall onto the blue fabric as he clutched it tightly to his chest.

Gently, he laid the scarf on the desk as he reached into the box once again for the final item. A smaller velvet box soon became in his hands. He had only briefly found out Bridgette was being sent back home and it had been through a third party. Felix couldn't bear to open the box for he knew once he did, he would be completely vulnerable. He heard a knock on his door in which he quickly placed the scarf and velvet box back into the box.

"Come in," Felix spoke as his secretary came in.

Felix reverted back into his cold self. He was no longer consumed with bad luck. Plagg, his only friend after his lady left was gone once more, and would be until he was given a new chosen. He was no longer Chat Noir. He hasn't been since his Ladybug left.

What was Chat Noir without a Ladybug?


End file.
